Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1887-03-18


and also TO brush the fly from its resting
place Concluding that the man who could
thus deceive him must be at least his equal
IN point OF genius, he accepted him Is u
son-in-law, and the pair "lived happily u
gether for ever after" But could al nv
letter with descriptions of these gems of art
and leave no time for anything else, and we
have still to see the Musee Wertz.
This Gallery has been bought by the COY
ernment, and Is kept az it was left by It's &c
centric owner Wiertz never sold picture
but painted solely for his own amusement.
and 1t his subjects are the index TO his char
acter, he must have been most nncomfOrt
able man to have in the house. How any
sane man could have had such horrible men
tai conceptions and held them long enough
to transfer them 10 canvas leave it for ga
expert to determine. One visit Is enough To
fix some Of them indelibly upon the mind
You can Imagine the pictures when give
you few Of their subjects "Thoughts ana
visions Ola heaacut off, "rhe burnt child"
"One second after DEATH" "Bured alive"
Hunger, Madness and Crime" &c. We
were told that this gallery was the pride Of
Brussels, SO, OF course, we ought not to crit
lolse, but ! must read something Ia pie.
ture 10 like it, and what | read here | do
not like Taere were some pleasing themes
but not many, not enough to oblterate the
horrors. Wlerlz seems TO have been ~.
msrkabe for the versatility of his concep
tons, painting equally well anlipoda sub
jects such as ave shall meet In Heaven"
and "A scene in flelr'-thc prominent flg
urs in the latter being Napoleon l. This is
a very popular picture with the natives
Another peculiarly of this gallery is the
singular effect produced by skillful arranga
ment Of screens, each with small opening
through which to look, whereby a few
rough, apparently careless touches Of the
brush upon the wall were transformed intn
complete picture. cannot explain "the
how OF this, but II Is very remarkable
Wiertz died in 1855.
Our next visit was 10 the Palais dc Jus.
ilcc, the finest modern building we have yet
seen, unless we except the Opera House in
Paris Near by Is the Place du petit Sab.
lon, little square surrounded by forty
eight bronze statues on Belgian stone pillars,
each representing distinguished patriot OF
tho XVI century, or one OF the guilds OF
Brussels, famous vi that time In almost all
the continental cities we saw this out .door
prodlgallty OF art, sometimes finding over Il
window or door piece of exquisite cary.
ing, which at home would he considered
worthy of the greatest care. The Kings
Palace, Cathedral, Church Of st. Mary,
Bank, and all the buildings around la
Grand Place, are fine structures These
latter were rebuilt in the old style after be-
ing demolished To- 1896, in the lombard
menl, aud La Grand Palace itself Is famous
Ms the'scene of all the important events in
the history of Brussels.
must not forget 10 mention our Hoieldr
Flandre as unexceptionable in every partie.
ular-beautifully situated close TO the I'a
ace, with courteous officials, and hon
bills AT all these hotels gaests are m
the door by the host, or some one repre-
ing him, welcomed aud assigned TO roo
where they are ut once followed by 4 waite
with card and pencil, who politely request.
Monsieur 10 favor him with the names anI
number Of his party, &c, jist as we register
ut our hotels. The hours for m!as ara
then announced, and often the order taken
for the approaching meal. This plan dos.
lI0t work so well as ours, as 10 does away
with the public register, by which irenfs
may be traced. In some places, however,
we found our own system adopted. Usually
our rooms were satisfactory and attendance
Nil we desired, but those miserable candles.
how they did make only the darkness viz
lble. There are always two To aa apart
ment and, as soon as lighted they arc
charged 20 cents each, itenized bills being
rendered. Sometimes one of US would take
up a candlsstIck and go round the rooms
hunting for the others, or one would hold
the light while another found what was
needed in trunk, and there those two
wicked candles wsuld stand and flirly
wink at each other, as much as 10 say, mo
body hut Americans, who cares whether
they sec or nOtW OF course there was gus,
alaotfioiiu do I,,tt
IN the bed -rsom5 even in Paris. The reason
given is that they would not know how To
charge for IL. II never seems To strike tiiesa
people that they need not charge at all, but
include IL in the price for tho roOn. Every
thing Is separately charged, and no oJpsr
UNITY Is ever lost 10 make money onttA-ths
traveller. You may call for pitcher OF hot
water, aud init is free as the cold, but II you
have Il headache and want foot bath, the
lamc quantity Of water brought in Il baM
'ab IS an extra charge. English people
seem 10 approve Of this, but IL Strikes most
Americans rs very small, and yet at some
IF these very hotels each guest is presented
with quite handsomely gotteu-up city
guide book
Leaving Brussels in the afternoon, one
hours ride brought us 10 Antwerp, or An.
vers, as II Is called. wonder how the irst
name was ever evolved from the last 1t
makes a little confusion for strangers rhs
Is great commercial city, with very irreg
ular streets aud fine boulevard, Place DE-
Melr, said 10 ~ one OF the finest in Europe
The Cathedral OF Metre Dame Is five hun
dred years old and was eighty years in build
ing Here Is Iieubens masterpiece, "1he
Descent from the Gross" with several sthers
OF his finest paintings. Every msrning, ex-
cepting one ia the week, curtains are drawn
over these pictures, and they are only ex.
hiblted after one o'clock on the payment OF
a franc. This seems Il good idea, as il SO
cured quiet during worship. Anvers being
the birthplace Of Reubcns, Van Dyck, Met
sys and others, isreplete with art collections,
both public and private, and everything
about the place Is extremely picturesque
IL was strange N see the hand carts drown
by dogs, sometimes q woman and o dog be-
ing harnessed TO the same cart, driven by u
man. Until we saw this we had excused
the fact of the hardest work being put upon
the women by the supposltien that il was a
necessity because OF the absence ofso many
men serving their time in the army, but
when we discovered II 10 be matter Of Gus
tom and choice we we're strongly inclined
10 telegraph for Susan Anthony. Frank tried
10 explain that the women only went in
front 10 show the men the way 10 go, a sort
Of animated rudder, but there were three of
Us aud only 0ne of him, and we wlthered
him with triangular remark. The poor
people, or peasantry, generally wear the
queer wooden shoes, or sabots, cut out OF
solid piece, making peculiar clatter upon
Tue pavcments, These with the short blue
dress aad white cap give very picturesque
effect, heightened BY the rapid motion the
knitting needles, which they wiold walking
thc streets. Antwerp, though behind the
tinrs IN maay respects, according IL our
idetk possessed one modern improvement
an elsyatSr In the Hotel Grande The mo
tive POKER was feeble, however, perhaps it,.
was woman and a dog, and only invalid =
we're allowed 10 descend
But my letter Is long enough will lei.
our lat day IN Antwerp for another, ~,
then go ON 10 Rotterdam and the Hague.
W.AYsfDE Sf.LEASER
= -
la the Minnesota Senate the Other day
the chaplain startled that august boiy by
closing his prayer with q word for the new
paper men lie said "And now, dear Lsrd
bless the reporters, whose nlmble pens catch
our every word almost before Il Is uttered
Like Thysslf, they are omniprescnt and al
most omnipotent. II we take the wings OF